Apparatus for developing fingerprints

ABSTRACT

A rotatable scoop scoops up fingerprint-developing powder and dumps it on a fingerprint-carrying document to develop fingerprints thereon. The document is supported on a fixed platform in the path-of-travel of the scoop which is rotated by a hand crank.

iJnited States Patent 1191 May Oct. 29, I974 [54] APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING 1,676,020 7/1928 Glass et a1. 118/31.5 FINGERPRINTS 2,857,878 10/1958 Matson et a1. 118/421 2,889,234 6/1959 Walker 118/308 X [76] Inventor: Richard L. May, 816 Duncan PL,

Manhattan Beach, Ca 90266 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Filed: b. 9 493,896 6/1953 Canada 118/31.5 [21] Appl. No.: 445,352 Primary Examiner-Morris Kaplan Attorney, Agent, or FirmMax E. Shirk [52] US. Cl 118/31.5 118/308 51 1m. 01 A 6lb 5/10 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search l18/31.5, 300, 308, 312, A rotatable o p op p fi ge pr -de elopmg 118/DIG, 24; 117/5, 1, 1,5, 1 7 powder and dumps it on a fingerprint-carrying document to develop fingerprints thereon. The document is [56] References Cited supported on a fixed platform in the path-of-travel of the scoop which is rotated by a hand crank.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDUCI 29 I974 swarms 1 APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING FINGERPRINTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The background of the invention will be set forth in two parts.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the field of developing latent fingerprints and more particularly to a new and useful apparatus for developing fingerprints on a fingerprint-carrying document supported on a fixed platform provided in the apparatus.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art known to applicant is listed by way of illustration, but not of limitation, in separate communications to the United States Patent Office.

Among this prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,397 which discloses an apparatus confining a mixture of carbon particles and iron filings in a cavity. A cover is positioned over this cavity and a guide means is provided on the cover enabling manual movement of a magnet over the cavity. A card upon which a persons fingerprints have been impressed may be inserted under the cover in a position to overlie the cavity. The magnet may then be moved into proximity to thereby attract the mixture against the surface of the card and result in the adherence of the mixture to the impression formed on the surface of the card to render the fingerprint visible.

The present invention exemplifies improvements over apparatus of this type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful apparatus for developing fingerprints on a fingerprint-carrying document.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an appratus of the type described which includes heating means for heat-setting a developed fingerprint on a document placed in the apparatus.

According to the present invention, an apparatus is provided for developing fingerprints from a fingerprintcarrying document. The apparatus includes a housing having a lower chamber in which a fingerprintdeveloping substance, such as a black powder, is provided. A support means is fixedly and immovably mounted adjacent the substance for supporting a document and a nonmagnetic means is movably mounted adjacent the substance and the document for moving the substance onto the document to develop a latent fingerprint on the document.

In a first embodiment of the present invention, the

non-magnetic means comprises a V-shaped scoop which is swingably mounted in the housing on a shaft rotated by a hand crank. The scoop may be rotated into the powder picking up a quantity thereof. The scoop is then rotated to a position where it is inverted over the document on the support means.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, a heater is mounted in the housing above the platform to heat the fingerprint powder and heat-set it.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of use, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fingerprintdeveloping apparatus constituting a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views similar to FIG. 2, but showing internal parts of the apparatus in different positions during use of the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 3', and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a fingerprintdeveloping apparatus constituting a second embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring again to the drawings, a fingerprintdeveloping apparatus constituting a first embodiment of the present invention, generally designated 10, includes a housing 12 having a front wall 14, a rear wall 16, a bottom wall 18, a top wall 20, a first end wall 22 and a second end wall 24.

An elongated, document-receiving opening 26 is provided in top wall 20 adjacent front wall 14 from the upper edge 28 of which a fixed platform 30 depends for supporting a fingerprint-carrying document 32 inside housing 12. Document 32 is retained in position on platform 30 by a plurality of cleats 34, 36, 38 and 40 (FIG. 5) affixed to the lower end 41 of platform 30.

Platform 30 is supported in housing 12 adjacent a suitable fingerprint-developing substance 42 which may comprise either a liquid or a powder and which may be scooped up by a V-shaped scoop 44 and dumped onto document 32. Scoop 44 is carried by a pair of brackets 46, 48 (FIG. 5) keyed to a shaft 50 for rotation thereby. Shaft 50 includes a first end 52 journalled in the first end wall 22 and a second end 54 journalled in the second end wall 24. The second end 54 of shaft 50 includes an extension 56 keyed to a hand crank 58 which may be manipulated to move scoop 44 from its rest position shown in FIG. 2 to its scooping position shown in FIG. 3 and its dumping position shown in FIG. 4. Scoop 44 may be held in the rest position shown in FIG. 2 by a suitable metal clip 60 (FIG. 2) affixed to front wall 14 by suitable fastening means 62, 64.

The use of apparatus 10 will be described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 5. Document 32 may comprise a check upon which a person cashing the check has been required to impress his fingerprints. Document 32 is then inserted into opening 26 and is deflected onto platform 30 by a deflector plate 66 depending from top wall 20. Document 32 will be positioned on platform 30 with the fingerprint-carrying surface uppermost. Crank 58 may then be rotated counterclockwise (looking in toward end wall 24 in FIG. 5) causing scoop 44 to become disengaged from clip 60 and move downwardly in the direction of arrow 68 (FIG. 2) into the fingerprint-developing substance 42 scooping up a quantity thereof. Continued rotation of crank 58 will then move scoop 44 up out of substance 42 in the direction of arrow 70 until scoop 44 engages document 32 on top of platform 30, as best shown in FIG. 4. Scoop 44 will then be inverted causing substance 42 to fall therefrom and onto document 32 for developing the fingerprints displayed thereon. Crank 58 may then be reversely rotated until scoop 44 again engages clip 60 and document 32 may be withdrawn from housing 12.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a fingerprint-developing apparatus constituting a second embodiment of the present invention, generally designated A, includes a housing 12A having a front wall 14A, a rear wall 16A, a bottom wall 18A, a top wall 20A and an end wall 24A. A horizontal partition 72 and a vertical partition 74 may be mounted in housing 10A for providing a subhousing for a fingerprint-developing apparatus of the type previously described herein wherein a hand crank 58A may be used to move a scoop 44A through a fingerprint-developing substance 42A and carry it upwardly in the direction of arrow 70A to dump it on a document 32A supported on a fixed platform 30A.

The apparatus WA, on the other hand, also includes a heating device 76 which may be used to heat document 32A after substance 42A has been deposited thereon for heat-setting substance 42A. The heating device 76 includes a reflector 78 which is adapted to reflect the heat from a set of resistanceheating elements 80 onto document 32A. Reflector 78 may be carried by a movable electrical contact 82 mounted in housing 12A above a fixed contact 84. The contacts 82, 84 may be attached to the horizontal partition 72 by a suitable dielectric fastening device 86 which also holds contacts 82, 84 in a proper operating relationship with each other so that a plunger 88 may be depressed causing movable contact 82 to close upon fixed contact 84 for completing a circuit to heating elements 80 through a first lead 90, a second lead 92, movable contact 82 and fixed contact 84. Button 88 may be mounted in an opening 94 in top wall 20A and may be biased to the position shown in FIG. 6 by a compression spring 96.

A suitable heat-settable, fingerprint-developing powder 42A may be made by mixing a fatty acid powder and an organic powder. After such a powder has been subjected to heat from the heating device 76, a more permanent fingerprint record is produced than may be obtained by using regular fingerprint dusting powders.

While the particular fingerprint-developing devices herein shown and described in detail are fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that they are merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims, which form a part of this disclosure.

Whenever the term means is employed in these claims, this term is to be interpreted as defining the corresponding structure illustrated and described in this specification or the equivalent of the same.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for developing fingerprints on a fingerprint-carrying document, comprising:

a housing having a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, a top wall, a first end wall and a second end wall, said top wall being provided with an elongated, document-receiving opening adjacent said front wall;

a fixed inclined platform depending from the top of said front wall into said housing along said opening and including cleat elements at the bottom thereof forming a ledge for supporting said document on the platform;

a V-shaped scoop substantially coextensive with the width of said housing and having a bracket provided at each end thereof;

a shaft rotatably mounted in said end walls and extending across said platform intermediate its upper surface and said top wall, one of said brackets being keyed to said shaft along each edge of said platform, whereby said scoop may be swung from a position beneath said platform to an inverted position above said platform;

said housing being adapted to contain a quantity of a fingerprint-developing material in the bottom thereof and in the path of said scoop as it travels from its position beneath said platform to said inverted position, whereby said scoop will scoop up said developing material and dump it onto said document when said document is in position on said platform; and

a crank connected to said shaft outside said housing for rotating said scoop.

2. An apparatus as stated in claim 1 including a heater mounted in said housing above said platform for heat-setting said developing material.

3. An apparatus as stated in claim 1 including a latch element disposed on said front wall beneath the platform and adapted to releasably retain the scoop member when the scoop is in a fully retracted position prior to advancement through the developing material. 

1. Apparatus for developing fingerprints on a fingerprintcarrying document, comprising: a housing having a front wall, a rear wall, a bottom wall, a top wall, a first end wall and a second end wall, said top wall being provided with an elongated, document-receiving opening adjacent said front wall; a fixed inclined platform depending from the top of said front wall into said housing along said opening and including cleat elements at the bottom thereof forming a ledge for supporting said document on the platform; a V-shaped scoop substantially coextensive with the width of said housing and having a bracket provided at each end thereof; a shaft rotatably mounted in said end walls and extending across said platform intermediate its upper surface and said top wall, one of said brackets being keyed to said shaft along each edge of said platform, whereby said scoop may be swung from a position beneath said platform to an inverted position above said platform; said housing being adapted to contain a quantity of a fingerprint-developing material in the bottom thereof and in the path of said scoop as it travels from its position beneath said platform to said inverted position, whereby said scoop will scoop up said developing material and dump it onto said document when said document is in position on said platform; and a crank connected to said shaft outside said housing for rotating said scoop.
 2. An apparatus as stated in claim 1 including a heater mounted in said housing above said platform for heat-setting said developing material.
 3. An apparatus as stated in claim 1 including a latch element disposed on said front wall beneath the platform and adapted to releasably retain the scoop member when the scoop is in a fully retracted position prior to advancement through the developing material. 